In order to accurately reproduce colors, printing systems generally require color calibration. Although printing systems are generally calibrated during manufacture, they typically require periodic calibration. For example, over time changes in printing system components may lead to inaccurate color reproduction. Printer calibration may also be used to help ensure color accuracy when printing on medias that having different media characteristics.
Many printing systems are able to perform self-calibration by printing a set of color patches on a media, taking color measurements of the printed color patches with an integrated color measurement device, and comparing measured color characteristics with reference color characteristics stored in the printer. However, due to the variety of different medias that many printing systems are able to print on, accurate color calibration requires reference color characteristics to be stored for each different type of media that the printing system may be used to print on. Furthermore, it is necessary to identify to the printing system which media is being used for the color calibration, in order that the correct reference color characteristics are used.